Class blog for Anth 249: Evolution and human disease. We will be responding to class readings and engaging with the wider network of blogs and online content on evolutionary medicine. We might also make up some fun projects along the way.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

[Searcher] The Pill

Recently we've been talking a lot about the Pill and human contraception in general. When we discussed the effects of the progesterone levels and a other few sides effects, I was surprised. I didn't know any of these side effects and was surprised how little I truly knew about the Pill. When researching for this post I decided to focus on side effects of the Pill that people may not know about. Since the Pill is one of the most studied prescriptions that a physician can prescribe, I think that there really is no excuse for my previous ignorance.

Women's Health Magazine recently did an article on the surprising effects of the Pill. First of all, there was apparently a common misconception that the Pill increases cancer risk. This is not true; the Pill actually dramatically reduces the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer by 80% in women who take it for at least 10 years. The Pill also does not make you gain weight. Instead, it affects the body composition by making it harder to build lean muscle and lowering levels of muscle-building hormones and increasing the levels of hormones that break down muscle tissue. The Pill also stabilizes hormone levels, which reduces mood swings for most, not increases them. In some people though, the Pill can be a depressant. Pill users are twice as likely to be depressed as nonusers. WebMD also has a thorough article on the Pill detailing any questions that people may have, possible side effects, and common misconceptions about the Pill.

With all the information about the Pill and its side effects available online, it really is embarrassing that I didn't know any of this. That is the same with all prescriptions though. In this day and age, so much information is available for free online. People should be much better informed and know exactly what they're taking.